Closest International Airports:

• 73 miles: Chicago, IL (ORD / KORD) Chicago O'Hare International Airport
• 91 miles: Milwaukee, WI (MKE / KMKE) General Mitchell International Airport
• 99 miles: Chicago, IL (MDW / KMDW) Chicago Midway International Airport

Closest Major City:

• 58 miles to Madison, WI
• 80 miles to Chicago, IL
• 81 miles to Milwaukee, WI

Closest Domestic Airport:

• 58 miles to Madison, WI
• 80 miles to Chicago, IL
• 81 miles to Milwaukee, WI

Cost of Living:

• State Cost of Living Index - 95.5
• City Cost of Living Index - 84.7
• Mean Housing Cost - $143,346

Colleges and Universities:

• Rock Valley College  Rockford, Full-time enrollment: 6,269;  Community College; Website: www.rockvalleycollege.edu
• Rockford University, Rockford, Full-Time enrollment: 1,182; Private liberal arts; Website: www.rockford.edu
• Northern Illinois University DeKalb, IL(about 28 miles)  FT enrollment: 18,126; Website: http://niu.edu/index.shtml
• University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI(about 58 miles) Full-time enrollment: 34,621; https://www.wisc.edu/

Demographics:

• White 56.8%
• African American 21.0%
• Latino 16.6%
• Asian 2.7%
• Mixed 2.6%
• Other 0.2%

Taxes:

• State Income Tax Rate - 3.75%
• Median Property Tax - $3,318
• State Sales Tax Rate - 6.250%
• City Sales Tax Rate - 8.25%
• County Sales Tax Rate - 7.25%
• Property Tax Rate - 2.39%

Major Industry:

• Manufacturing (27%)
• Retail trade (10%)
• Accommodation and food services (9%)
• Health care and social assistance (8%)
• Educational services (7%)
• Other services, except public administration (7%)
• Construction (7%)

Recreation:

• SPORTS

Baseball, football, soccer, hockey, ice skating - Rockford has it all! How about league play for tennis, bocce, and pickleball? Try out your water skis at the West Rock wake park or hang more than ten at the local zip line park. Golf? Five public courses and three unbelievable country club courses.

• RUNS & RIDES

With over 60 miles of developed rec paths circling Rockford,  you can walk, ride, and bike along the river, through the largest state park in Illinois, and along abandoned rail lines.

• PADDLE & HIKE

The Rockford area is a nature preserve wonderland with over 10,000 acres of natural areas, lakes, rivers, and forests to explore including Rock Cut State Park, the largest in Illinois.

Arts & Culture:

• Anderson Japanese Gardens
• Coronado Performing Arts Center
• Rockford Symphony Orchestra
• Mendelssohn Performing Arts Center
• Rockford Art Museum
• Discovery Center Museum
• Burpee Museum of Natural History
• Rockford Dance Company
• Starlight Theatre
• Frank Lloyd Wright's Laurent House

Sports for the Spectator:

• As the top NHL minor league affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks, the Rockford Ice Hogs sends players to the big league and sells out every game in their 5,600 seat arena.
• You're just an hour away from big ten sports with the University of Wisconsin Badgers in Madison and Northwestern University in Chicago.
• Major League sports are also an hour away including the Chicago Bears, Cubs, White Sox, and Blackhawks, or head to Milwaukee for a Brewers game.  

Sports for the Participant:

• Recreational baseball, softball, volleyball, flag football, soccer and many other sports are offered though the Rockford Park District. 
• Learn to ice skate or play ice hockey at one of two professional ice rinks.
• Saddle up for a horseback ride at Lockwood Park or practice your dressage and jumps at The Ledges Sporting Horses and Show Grounds.
• Join a league for golf, soccer, tennis, basketball, bocce, or the newest craze, pickleball.

Shopping:

• Cherryvale Mall offers more than 130 specialty stores including Chico's, Abercrombie, and Gymboree, along with children's activities and special events. Four anchor stores include Bergner's, J. C. Penney, Macy's and Sears.
• Many unique boutiques and specialty shops can be found in the historic downtown River District and in neighborhoods throughout Rockford.
• Antique lovers will find more than 30 antique shops, two major antique malls and many weekend shows and flea markets.

Top Five things to do:

1. Anderson Japanese Gardens, recognized as one of the Top Japanese gardens in north America. 
2. Discovery Center Museum, honored as one of the top children's museums in the nation.
3. Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens, an 11,000 sq. ft. tropical plant exhibition, surrounded by the Sinnissippi Rose Garden on the shore of the Rock River. 
4. Rockford City Market, held every Friday from May to October features local growers and vendors selling natural products, unique retail items, and delicious cuisine, live music, demonstrations, and kids' activities
5. The Coronado Performing Arts Center features Broadway and Off-Broadway shows and concerts by national and international performers.